Mir's third expansion module, dedicated to materials processing,
Kristall was launched by the USSR and carried equipment for research on semiconductors and
the purification of biologically active substances to the space station Mir. It also
carried astrophysical, geophysical and technical experiments.
Kristall was 11.9 m long, 4.35 m in diameter. Solar arrays spanned 36 m. Its main body
was similar to Kvant 2, with a multiple docking port instead of
an EVA airlock module. The docking system was to host a future Buran visit, but was later
used for Shuttle visits. The axial port was later coupled with
the SO docking module to provide more clearance with the shuttle
orbiter. The radial port of the docking port was never used.
Kristall increased Mir's mass to 83 metric tons and restabilized the station, thrown
off kilter with the addition of Kvant 2.
The main experiments onboard were dedicated to material processing in space:
- Ainur electrophoresis unit
- Krater 5, Optizon 1, and CSK-1/Kristallizator semiconductor materials processing
furnaces
- Zona 2/3 materials processing furnaces
More instruments for other areas of science were also carried:
- Buket gamma ray spectrometer
- Glazar 2 UV telescope - cosmic radiation studies
- Granar astrophysics spectrometer
- Marina gamma ray telescope
- Mariya magnetic spectrometer
- Priroda 5 Earth resources camera system - consists of 2 KFA-1000 film cameras
- Svet plant cultivation unit
